Time Line

1500
1502	First Spanish map depicts a peninsula that appears to be Florida.
1513	Ponce de Leon lands on the Florida coast near present day St. Augustine. He names the land "Pascua Florida" because the time is during the Spanish "Feast of the Flowers".
1519	Juan Alonzo Alvarez de Pineda determines that Florida is a peninsula.
1521	Ponce de Leon is mortally wounded in an Indian attack.
1528	Panfilo de Narvaez attempt at colonization in the Florida interior with 400 men ends in disaster when Indians attack them. Four survivors of the attack turn up eight years later in Mexico.
1539	Hernando de Soto begins exploration west from Florida. This leads his group to the Mississippi River and to his death four years later.
1549	Fray Luis Cancer and others attempt to begin a mission near Tampa Bay. They are killed by Indians.
1559	Don Tristan de Luna establishes the first colony on Pensacola Bay. It is called Santa Maria. The settlement only lasts a few months because of lack of food.
1564	French begin settlement under Rene de Laudonniere at the St. Johns River. It is named Fort Caroline.
1565	Spanish claim rights to Florida and charge French with invasion. Don Pedro de Aviles quickly builds fort named St. Augustine. Ribaut begins reinforcing Fort Caroline. September 20^th – Spanish capture Fort Caroline and despite a retaliatory act by 600 new French who arrive the next week, the Spanish conquer them. Fort Caroline becomes San Mateo.
1566	More missionaries that were sent by King Phillip of Spain are killed on their journeys inland.
1567	French avenge the deaths of Huguenots at Fort Caroline. Dominique de Gourges leads the expedition which executes all inhabitants of San Mateo and brings the fort back to France’s claim
1589	Sir Frances Drake of England leads attack on St. Augustine.
1596	Franciscans strengthen their missions in Florida with the help of new governor Gonzalo Mendez de Conzo.
1600
1606	Bishop Altamirano of Cuba tours northern Florida missions, and discovers a well-established Christian influence.
1638	Spanish win over Apalachee Indians and use them as slaves to build St. Augustine fortifications.
1639	Fort San Luis is built in Tallahassee area to prevent more Indian raids.
1668	St. Augustine is again attacked by an Englishman. Buccaneer John Davis takes over the fort at St. Augustine.
1672	Spanish begin the first stone fort at St. Augustine, and call it San Marcos
1674	First priests are ordained on Florida soil by Bishop Calderon of Cuba.
1675	Don Juan de Salacar is made captain-general of Florida
1680	Don Juan Marquez de Cabrera replaces Salacar.
1686	Spanish remove small Scottish settlement on Port Royal Island for fear of encroaching British. Fort San Fernando is built on Amelia Island.
1698	Governor Andres d’Arriola leads construction of Fort San Carlos near Pensacola Bay. It will be the first permanent settlement in that location.
1700
1702	British unsuccessfully raid Spanish settlement at St. Augustine. Troops under Governor James Moore capture the fort at Amelia Island
1704	Moore again invades Florida, especially near Tallahassee
1719	The French, while at war with Spain, capture and destroy the fort at Pensacola. A peace treaty later returns Pensacola to the Spanish.
1732	English charter new colony of Savannah in order to consolidate their claim to this disputed region.
1736	Spanish begin building Fort Matanzas for the defense against British raids.
1740	Governor James Oglethorpe’s attempt to capture St. Augustine is unsuccessful, but a number of other forts are seized.
1750	Seminole Indian tribe begins in Florida as a dissenting party of Creeks from Georgia traveling south. They called themselves simanoli or "refugees".
1763	With the end of the Seven Year War, Spain cedes Florida to the British in exchange for Cuba. St. Augustine is a city of 900 houses, but Pensacola has grown little since its founding. New British government divides Florida into two provinces east and west of the Apalachicola River.
1764	English begin the development of Florida, which is largely a wilderness.
1765	Denis Rolles founds a colony on the St. Johns River and names it Rollestown.
1769	New Smyrna colony is settled by 14,000 Minorcans, Italians, and Greeks under Dr. Andrew Turnbull. He hopes to establish cotton, indigo, rice and sugar cane plantations there.
1776	East and West Floridians fight over the Declaration of Independence. John Adams and John Hancock are burned in effigy at St. Augustine. New Smyrna loyalists move to St. Augustine.
1777	British headquarters are set up at St. Augustine. Loyalists depart from Florida to attack Savannah.
1781	After a series of coastal forays, the Spanish capture Pensacola from the British as well as two other British forts.
1782	English refugees from Georgia build St. Johns Town on the St. Johns River.
1783	The East Florida Gazette becomes Florida’s first newspaper. It is published in St. Augustine by Tory William Charles Wells.
1795	As border disputes continue, Spain gives most of West Florida back to France. American boundary ends at 31 degrees.
1800
1804	Congress adopts a secret bill called the "Mobil Act". It allows the President to seize West Florida. President Madison claims that Florida is part of the Louisiana Purchase.
1811	The Mobile Act’s broad authority is qualified by a new congressional bill that allows for the seizure of West Florida only "if there was a danger of it being acquired by an unfriendly power".
1814	British enter Pensacola Harbor and placed troops in Forts Michael and San Carlos. Andrew Jackson captures Pensacola, but later abandons it. British destroy San Carlos and evacuate before Jackson’s arrival. Fugitive slaves and Seminole Indians build a fort on the Apalachicola River and the British aid them in making the fort the center of raids on forts in the Gulf. Americans later destroy the fort.
1817	Gregor McGregor captures Amelia Island and Fernandina and attacks St. Augustine. He raises the "green cross of Florida" flag. President Monroe’s troops later occupy the island and evict the outlaw Leaders without bloodshed. Zeohaniah Kingsley establishes a slave training school on Fort George Island.
1818	Andrew Jackson returns to Florida. He fights the Indians and hangs three British men who had incited the Seminoles against the Americans. Pensacola is won for American government, pushing for a Spanish secession of Florida.
1819	Treaty is signed, releasing the Floridas to the United States by Secretary of State John Q. Adams and Spanish Minister Luis de Onis.
1820	U.S. pays Spain $5 million for Florida and relinquishes claims to Texas. No money is actually given to Spain, since American indemnities equal purchase price.
1821	Florida Gazette, Florida’s second newspaper, is published at St. Augustine. Formal transfers are made of East and West remnant of Florida. U.S. President James Monroe appoints General Andrew Jackson Commissioner of the United States to take possession of Florida and gave him the full powers of governor. Jackson accepted the office only on the condition that he could resign the office as soon as the territorial government was organized. On July 17, 1821, Spain transferred Florida to the United States, and Jackson sent his resignation to the president in November. In all, Andrew Jackson visited Florida only three times: in 1814 during the War of 1812, in 1818 during the First Seminole War, and in 1821 to organize the first territorial government.
1822	Congress creates Territory of Florida. Matthew C. Perry and his American troops occupy Key West, formerly held as private estate. First legislative council of Florida meets at Pensacola. William Pope Duval was appointed governor of the Florida territory by President James Monroe. He was later re-appointed by Presidents Adams and Jackson. DuVal's administration was noted for its peaceful relations with Florida's Indians and for the establishment of Tallahassee as the territorial capital.
1823	John M. Hernandez takes seat in Congress as first territorial delegate from Florida. Legislature meets at St. Augustine and selects Tallahassee as capital site. Key West is made U.S. naval depot and station, under Commodore Porter
1824	Governor Duval declares Tallahassee as official territorial seat. Legislature meets in a log cabin there. Bellamy Road, to reach from Pensacola to St. Augustine, is approved by Congress. Fort Brooke is built on Tampa Bay.
1825	Pensacola becomes site of U.S. naval yard.
1828	Bank of Florida is established at capital.
1829	Chipola Canal Co. receives right to build a railroad or dig a canal from Chipola River to St. Andrews Bay with $50,000 raised by lottery.
1830	First Federal Census finds population to be 34,730 in territory.
1831	W.H. Wall builds factory at Key West, which begins cigar industry there. Florida Education Society is organized at Tallahassee.
1832	United States claims Seminole lands under Treaty of Payne Landing, and pushes for Indian removal west to Arkansas.
1834	Florida’s first railroad, the Tallahassee-St. Mark’s Railroad, opens, with mules as engines, cotton is the first cargo. John H. Eaton, President Jackson’s former secretary of war, is appointed Florida’s second territorial governor. Eaton's short term in Florida was not a happy one. He arrived more than seven months after his appointment began. A year later, in 1835, the Second Seminole War broke out. After serving less than two years, Eaton left Florida in 1836 to become U.S. minister to Spain, remaining until 1840.
1835	Orange groves are destroyed and St. John’s River frozen over when record- breaking cold hit Northern Florida; temperature plunge to 7 degrees Fahrenheit. December. Osceolas and Seminoles kill and scalp Indian agent because of frustration with American treaties. Major Francis L. Dade and soldiers are ambushed and killed on march north from Tampa Bay, which begins a seven year war with the Seminoles, costing 1500 lives and $40 million.
1836	Richard Keith Call becomes the third territorial governor of Florida and serves until 1839. Call led the Florida militia in fighting the Seminoles during his first term.
1837	National financial panic is felt strongly in Florida after frozen citrus crops and losses due to Seminole War. Col. Zachary Taylor leads American troops at Battle of Okeechobee to victory over Seminole warriors.
1838	St. Joseph is site of First Constitutional Convention.
1839	Although State constitution is formally adopted at St. Joseph, Congress, is reticent about Florida’s admission to the Union because of its heavy losses in Seminole War. Seminoles are assigned the territory south of Charlie Apopka Creek after treaty with Gen. Alexander Macomb. Robert Raymond Reid was appointed fourth territorial governor of Florida by President Martin Van Buren. He served until 1841. Reid presided at the convention that drafted Florida's first constitution and advocated a vigorous prosecution of the Second Seminole War. He died at his home near Tallahassee on July 1, 1841, a victim of a yellow fever epidemic
1840	Population is 54,477. American Dr. Henry Perrine is slain by Indians, ending hopes that the Seminole War has ended. Oscilla Academy, near Monticello, is chartered by Legislature.
1841	Indians attack and burn town of Mandarin. Yellow fever epidemic kills three quarters of St. Joseph’s inhabitants. Richard Keith Call is appointed fifth territorial governor of Florida. During his second administration as governor, he moved the territory closer to statehood and tried to minimize the financial problems that Florida experienced because of bank failures and the national business depression. He served until 1844.
1842	Skirmishes with Seminoles continue, although war is officially considered over. 3,824 Indians and blacks are relocated to Arkansas.
1844	John Branch was appointed sixth territorial governor to Florida by President John Tyler. Branch's administration prepared Florida for its entry into the Union as the 27th state. Branch also promoted education and coastal defense. He served until 1845.
1845	Congress and President Tyler sign documents to admit Florida to the Union. Public school lands are granted. Doctor John Gorrie of Apalachicola builds first ice-making machine for Feverish patients rooms. William D. Moseley is elected first State Governor. He served until 1849. Florida became the 27th state of the Union on March 3, 1845, and in the first statewide election for governor that year, Moseley successfully ran against one of the best-known public figures in the state, former territorial Governor Richard Keith Call. As governor, Moseley encouraged agriculture in the state, especially the planting of citrus, avocados, tobacco, and cotton. He was a strong supporter of states' rights and favored the establishment of state-funded public schools. The state capitol was completed and fully occupied in the first year of his administration. After his term of office, Moseley moved to Palatka, where he became a planter and raised citrus fruit.
1846	First steam locomotive is put in use. U.S. Fort Jefferson is established on Garden Key.
1847	Fort Clinch is under construction at Fernandina.
1849	Last Seminole War outbreak occurs when Indians kill two trading post operators. Thomas Brown is elected as the Governor of Florida. He served until 1853. As governor, Brown tried to improve Florida’s transportation system and agriculture and made an effort to determine whether the Everglades should be drained.
1850	Population is 87,445.
1851	Dr. Forrie patents his ice-making machine. Plank toll road to connect Jacksonville and Lake City (then Alligator) is approved by Legislature. Two teacher training schools are established.
1852	Jacob Brock starts steamboat line on St. Johns River.
1853	James E. Broome is elected as third Governor of Florida. He served until 1857. He was a strong advocate of states’ rights and became known for vetoing more acts of the legislature than any of his predecessors.
1855	First Internal Improvement Act is passed to use wasted swampland in the State for railroads and canals.
1856	First Historical Society is established. Seminoles attack Braden Plantation, stealing slaves and livestock.
1857	Madison S. Perry is elected fourth Governor of Florida. He served until 1861. As governor, Perry helped bring about the settlement of a long-standing boundary dispute with Georgia and encouraged the building of railways. During the years before the Civil War, Governor Perry foresaw the possibility that Florida might secede from the Union, and in 1858 urged the reestablishment of the state’s militia.
1858	Majority of Florida Indians are moved to Indian Territory. State law allows free black persons desiring to become slaves to choose their own masters.
1860	Railroad between Fernandina and Cedar Keys is first used. Population is 140,424. When Abraham Lincoln is elected, legislatures rush to begin Constitutional Convention and raise money for State troops.
1861	Florida secedes from Union, the third state to do so; State troops are stationed at various forts around Florida. John Milton is elected fifth Governor of Florida. He served until 1865. As governor, Milton stressed Florida’s ability to serve as an important source of food and salt for the Confederate war effort.
1862	Confederates evacuate Pensacola and Union troops over take it. Florida continues to supply Confederate army with salt, beef, and bacon throughout the war.
1864	Battle of Olustee, the only major Civil War conflict fought in the State, results in Confederate victory. This battle saves interior supply lines from Florida and confines the Union army to the coast.
1865	Captain J.J. Dickison drives Federal troops from Cedar Keys. Confederate army is aided by schoolboys from West Florida Seminary in repelling Union army at Battle of Natural Bridge. Tallahassee remains the only Confederate capital east of the Mississippi without Union invasion. After General Lee’s surrender, Jefferson Davis’ cabinet Members flee to the interior of Florida. April 1, 1865, as the southern cause was collapsing, John Milton shot himself at "Sylvania," his home near Marianna. In his last message to the legislature, he had said, "Death would be preferable to reunion." Abraham Kirkindolle Allison is acting governor from April 1^st to May 19^th. As senate president, he became acting governor after the death of John Milton. Allison was arrested by federal authorities on June 19, 1865, and imprisoned for several months at Fort Pulaski, Ga., along with other Confederate officials.
1866	Attempt to organize a settlement of freed slaves by the Florida Land Company proves a failure.
1867	Reconstruction efforts begin in Florida as military government is inaugurated there. Council of Ku Klux Klan organizes in Palatka.
1868	New constitution is adopted. Ex-Confederates disenfranchised as former slaves receive more freedoms. State Immigration Bureau is organized to promote settlement in Florida. Fourteenth Amendment is adopted by Legislature. To prevent black domination of Florida, many formerly elected positions are given to the Governor by appointment. Harrison Reed elected Governor of Florida. He serves until 1873.
1869	Florida’s first African-American lawyer, Harvey S. Harmon, is admitted to the State bar.
1870	Population is 187,748.
1873	Florida Memorial College is founded at Live Oak. State’s bonded debt of $1,430,223 is refunded. Ossian Bingley Hart elected Governor of Florida. He was the first of Florida’s governors to be born in the state. Physically weakened by a strenuous campaign, he caught pneumonia and died in Jacksonville on March 18, 1874, after little more than a year in office. During Hart’s brief administration, limited civil rights legislation was passed, and some improvements were made in the state’s weakened finances.
1874	Marcellus L. Stearns became acting Governor of Florida. He was elected lieutenant governor in 1872 and succeeded to the governorship a year and a half later, upon the death of Governor Ossian Hart. While Stearns was governor, Florida’s budget was balanced, and tourists first began to flock to the state.
1876	Florida’s electoral votes decide Rutherford B. Hayes’ victory to the Presidency. Institution for the insane is built at Chattahoochee.
1877	Convict labor leasing is allowed by legislative act. George Franklin Drew elected Governor of Florida. Drew’s election as governor coincided with the end of the Reconstruction era in Florida. He drastically cut taxes and expenditures during his term of office and established the convict lease system as an economy measure. He served until 1881.
1878	Yellow fever plagues State.
1880	Business section of Pensacola is destroyed by fire. Population is 269,493. 1.8 million acres of public swamplands are given to State by U.S. government
1881	First private land development in Florida is begun by Hamilton Disston of Philadelphia. Disston buys four million acres of land near Ocala at 25 cents per acre. William D. Bloxham elected as Governor of Florida. His first administration as governor was marked by the sale of four million acres of state lands in the Everglades for one million dollars. The money restored the state’s solvency and gave impetus to development in south Florida. He serves until 1885.
1882	Florida Cost Line Canal and Transportation Company opens inland water route between Halifax River and Matanzas River. Water Reclamation project is begun new Lake Okeechobee by Disston and his associates.
1883	State Agricultural College is removed to Lake City from Eau Gallie. It’s later called University of Florida. Deland Academy is established, and later called Stetson University. First all-black high school is founded at Jacksonville, later to become Edward Waters College. State School for Deaf and Blind opens at St. Augustine. Jacksonville Hotel installs first electric lights in Florida. New Orleans Times Democrat sponsers exploration of the Everglades by Mayor A.P. Williams.
1884	Henry B. Plant’s new short-line railroad first rides into Tampa. This opens the way for increased West Coast commerce. Phosphate deposits are discovered in pebbles along Peace River by J. Francis LeBaron.
1885	Henry M. Flagler establishes the Florida East Coast Railroad from Jacksonville and St. Augustine Railroad. Constitutional convention is held. New document is approved that ends Reconstructionist controls by allowing more posts to be elective and Establishing State normal schools as well as a Board of Education. Rollins College and Florida Southern College are founded. Edward Aylsworth Perry is elected Governor of Florida. During Governor Perry’s administration, Florida adopted a new constitution and established the state board of education to support public schools. He served as governor until 1889.
1886	Key West is virtually destroyed by fire. Cigar industry in Key West moves to Tampa because of labor disputes. Eatonville, an all-black community, is established.
1887	Phosphate mining begins commercially. The phosphate business will bring $270 million into State within 50 years. Florida Railroad Commission is formed.
1888	Lake Okeechobee is linked to Gulf of Mexico by new canal. Another yellow fever epidemic hits many Florida cities. Longshoremen’s strike starts at Fernandina.
1889	Florida Board of Health is formed as result of yellow fever problems. Chinese horiculturist, Lue Gim Gong, perfects a new strain of orange. Francis Philip Fleming is elected Governor of Florida. He served until 1893.
1890	Population is 391,422. Farmer’s Alliance holds national convention at Ocala.
1892	Populist Party dominates State. Florida Normal and Industrial Institute is founded at St. Augustine. J.E. Ingram explores the Everglades. Lue Gim Gong develops a new variety of grapefruit.
1893	Fuller’s earth deposits are found at Quincy. Henry Laurens Mitchell is elected Governor of Florida. He served until 1897.
1894- 1899	Continuing heavy frosts kill much of citrus plantations, which cause farmers to move the industry southward. First year disaster costs $100 million as Tallahassee area temperatures cool to 10 degrees.
1896	Railroad connects Jacksonville with Miami by continuous tracks.
1897	State Railroad Commission becomes authority on passenger and freight charges by rail companies. Direct Primary law is effected in State. William D. Bloxham is reelected to the office of governor for a second term. During this administration, he reestablished the State Railroad Commission and aided the federal government in the Spanish-American War. He serves until 1901.
1898	American soldiers camp in Florida on their way to Spanish-American War Duty.
1899	February 13. Florida experiences lowest temperature on record, 2 degrees Fahrenheit, at Tallahassee.
1900	Population is 528,542. Florida Audubon Society is founded
1901	Almost entire city of Jacksonville is ruined in disastrous fire. William Sherman Jennings is elected Governor of Florida. As governor, Jennings introduced a system of primary elections that replaced the method of nominating candidates for political office at a convention. The first statewide primary was held in 1902. Jennings served as governor until 1905.
1902	St. Augustine experiences slight earthquake.
1903	Alexander Winton drives an automobile at 8 mph at Daytona Beach. R.E. Olds races over the measured mile in one minute and six seconds. Everglades are granted to State of Florida by U.S. government.
1904	Daytona Normal and Industrial Institute, later called Buthune-Cookman College, is formed.
1905	Buckman Act consolidates State-supported institutions of higher learning into three branches: University of Florida, Florida State College for Women, and Florida Agricultural and Mechanical College for Negroes. Napoleon Bonaparte Broward is elected Governor of Florida. As governor, Broward unified the state's institutions of higher learning under a board of control and was successful in draining and developing portions of the Everglades. He served as governor until 1909.
1906	State begins drainage of Everglades. Experiments with Tung nut trees produce first tung nut oil.
1907	Child labor restrictions are passed.
1908	First city ordinances pertaining to aircraft are passed in Kissimee. Chockawhatchee National Forest is created.
1909	Overwater railroad it Key West is destroyed while under construction when a hurricane hits. Albert Waller Gilchrist is elected as Governor of Florida. Gilchrist sponsored legislation to safeguard the public health. He served as governor until 1913.
1910	Three striking cigar workers at Tampa are killed by vigilantes after nine months of protests. Population is 752,619.
1911	Lincoln Beachey makes world’s first night flight over Tampa.
1912	Overwater railroad to Key West is finally completed.
1913	Park Trammell is elected Governor of Florida. Trammell successfully urged the passage of a law to control spending during election campaigns. He also helped to establish a state tax commission to equalize property assessments among Florida's counties. He served as governor until 1917.
1914	First scheduled commercial airline in the world flies between Tampa and St. Petersburg for a few months. U.S. Naval Air Station is built at Pensacola. Temple orange is introduced at a Tampa nursery.
1915	Florida Road Department is organized.
1917	Tamiami Trail construction is begun. Valuable deposits of diatomite are found near Lake Louisa. Many Floridians join armed forces and naval training bases in State. They Become active during World War I. Sidney Johnston Catts is elected Governor of Florida. Catts initiated reforms in the prison system and the treatment of the mentally ill, ratified the eighteenth amendment to the U.S. Constitution (prohibition), and endorsed women's suffrage. He served as governor until 1921.
1919	Convict leasing system is abolished in Florida. First guided missiles are tested at Arcadia.
1920	Population is 968,470. Race riots at Ocoee spread to outlying towns and eventually lead to the burning of 30 Black person’s homes and two churches, which causes many deaths.
1921	Seven new counties are formed. WQAM is the first radio station in Florida, and it broadcasts from Miami. Cary Augustus Hardee is elected Governor of Florida. During Hardee's administration, constitutional amendments were adopted that reapportioned the legislature and prohibited the levying of state income and inheritance taxes. Leasing of convicts to private businesses also was outlawed during his administration. He served as governor until 1925.
1923	Lashes and sweatboxes of Florida prison are abolished. Comprehensive exploration and study are made of the Everglades along the Tamiami Trail.
1924	Lt. V.F. Grant sets new record for speed when he wins the Curtis-Marine race at Miami with his Vaught airplane, attaining 11 miles per hour. Clyde Steamship Line begins first passenger ship service Miami and New York. Gandy Bridge at old Tampa Bay is completed. Notorious bank robbers and rumrunners of the east coast, known as the Ashley Gang, are arrested.
1925	Great real estate boom in State reaches its peak. Hotel construction permits raise from $8 million in 1921 to $35 million in 1925, but by September of 1925 the profits of speculation spiral downward and leave many penniless. John Wellborn Martin is elected Governor of Florida. As governor during a land boom that attracted national attention, Martin encouraged a variety of progressive endeavors that outlasted the speculation. These included the building of highways throughout the state, financing public schools by direct state appropriations, and furnishing free textbooks to all pupils through the sixth grade. He served as governor until 1929
1926	Hurricane on east coast causes death and destruction from Miami to Daytona Beach.
1927	First international flights begin when Pan American World Airways begin a service between Key West and Havana. State Public Welfare board is formed. Sugar Cane industry gaining momentum in Everglades. St. Petersburg Junior College opens
1928	After much publicity, Tamiami Trail is opened to public. Hurricane and flood waters from Lake Okeechobee kill about 2,000 people.
1929	Great Depression hits. Florida tourist and interstate trade economy suffer. Everglades National Park is proposed. Metiterranean fruit fly infests citrus crop. John Ringling designates Sarasota as winter quarters for his circus. President Calvin Coolidge dedicates Bok Singing Tower at Mountain Lake Sanctuary. Doyle Elam Carlton is elected Governor of Florida. Carlton served as governor during one of the most critical peacetime periods in Florida's history, facing four major disasters: the collapse of the state's land boom, a violent hurricane, the Mediterranean fruit fly infestation, and the national depression. He eliminated many state jobs as an economy measure. He served as governor until 1933.
1930	Population is 1,468,211. Congress allows funds for flood levees at Lake Okeechobee. Fruit Fly infestation is controlled.
1931	Federal government from Osceola National Forest
1932	Chinsegut Park becomes a national wildlife refuge.
1933	Giuseppe Zangara shoots and kills Chicago Mayor, Anton Cermak, in an assassination attempt on President Roosevelt in Miami. Zangara is later convicted and executed. David Sholtz is elected Governor of Florida during the national depression and quickly took advantage of the social welfare and public works programs instituted by President Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal, including unemployment compensation and old age assistance. He served as governor until 1937.
1935	Workman’s Compensation Act is passed, and a Florida Industrial Commission is created. Homestead exemption law relieves taxed owners of homesteads worth less than $5,000. State Welfare Board is formed. Fred and "Ma" Barker of notorious Karpis-Barker gang are shot by Federal agents near Ocklawaha. 400 die in hurricane on the Florida Keys. Work at Ocala on a Gulf-Atlantic ship canal is delayed.Labor leader, Joeseph Shoemaker, is beaten to death near Tampa.
1936	Communist presidential candidate, Earl Browden, is prevented from speaking at Tampa. Phosphate mining grows in State.
1937	$2 poll tax for voters is abolished and more comprehensive social security and welfare laws are passed. Several labor strikes occur around State. Frederick Preston Cone is elected Governor of Florida. During Cone's administration, Florida had an outstanding exhibit at the New York World's Fair. In addition, the state highway patrol, financed by drivers license fees, began operation. He served as governor until 1941.
1938	Overseas highway to Key West opens. Cooperative farming organizations become popular. Ku Klux Klan leads rallies and marches at Jacksonville, Lakeland, Miami, St. Petersburg, and Starke. Paper industry begins, as pulp mills are opened throughout Florida.
1939	Several new naval and army bases receive approval from Congress to be built in Florida. State relief rolls are cut from 55,000 to 37,000 persons on September 1st. First woman in U.S. completes flight training at Florida Southern College at Lakeland.
1940	Population is 1,897,414.Winter freeze results in worst citrus crop since 1894-95. Tourism is strong because of World War II ban on European travel.
1941	Legislature outlaws Communist Party in State. Speesard Lindsey Holland is elected Governor of Florida. As Florida's governor during World War II, he coordinated the state's defense effort with that of the federal government. Holland strengthened the state's tax structure, established the Everglades National Park, and brought about reforms in the public school system. He also established the Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission as an independent agency. He served as governor until 1945.
1942	Army Air Force occupies city of Miami. Public use of beaches is prohibited and hotels are evacuated.
1943	First oil well is drilled in State.
1945	State Supreme Court rules that blacks have right to vote in Democratic primaries. Millard Fillmore Caldwell is elected Governor of Florida. During his administration, financing for public schools was increased and state government grew larger. He served as governor until 1949.
1946	Miami Beach experiences first tourist boom after World War II.
1947	Everglade National Park is dedicated. System of junior colleges is established.
1948	Crisis in citrus industry hurts economy. Ku Klux Klan tries to prevent blacks from voting in primary elections
1949	Fuller Warren is elected Governor of Florida. During Governor Warren's term of office, cattle ranchers were forbidden to allow their stock to wander freely on Florida's highways, new quality-control programs for Florida citrus fruit were begun, a model reforestation program was started, and preliminary plans for the Florida Turnpike were completed. Governor Warren refused to take his salary when Legislature fails to pass his biennial budget. He pawns his personal car for living expenses. He served as governor until 1953.
1950	Population is 2,771,305. First rocket is launched from Cape Canaveral.
1951	H.T. Moore, State NAACP director, is killed when a bomb is planted in his home. Moore had earlier defended a black man is a rape case and promoted the black vote in Florida. Impeachment move against Governor Warren is begun because of staff bribery charges.
1952	Groups of black and white civil rights leaders urge Gov. Warren to outlaw KKK. He refuses on the grounds of unconstitutionality. Several bombings of black churches and Jewish synagogues are reported throughout the State.
1953	Daniel Thomas McCarty is elected Governor of Florida. During his short term of office, McCarty began major construction projects in the state, reformed purchasing and hiring practices, boosted teachers' salaries and created scholarships for teacher training, opposed oil exploration in the Everglades, and instituted aid programs for the disabled. He suffered a disabling heart attack on February 25, 1953, and died on September 28 in Tallahassee. Charley Eugene Johns is acting Governor of Florida, after the death of McCarty. The Johns Administration encouraged highway construction and eliminated tolls on the Overseas Highway between Miami and Key West. He served as governor until 1955.
1955	Large industry and real estate growth are reported, especially in southern part of State. Legislative committee is created to study and advise on amendments to the State Constitution. Thomas Leroy Collins is elected Governor of Florida. During his years as governor, Collins emphasized education and worked to strengthen the state’s public school system from the primary grades through the university system. He created the first community colleges in the state and promoted industry, agriculture, and tourism through state sponsorship. Among his most important accomplishments was the moderate course he took to deal with the racial unrest of the 1950s and early 1960s. Collins counselled progress under law and, unlike many other southern states, Florida experienced only minimal disorder. He served as governor until 1961.
1956	When U.S. Supreme Court orders desegregation, Attorney General proclaims danger to the public safety if blacks are admitted to the University of Florida. Madison County Commissioners fire white health officer, Dr. D. Coggins, after she lunches with a black nurse. State Health Department upholds action.
1958	U.S. Civil Rights Commission investigates black voting rights in Florida. New National Aeronautics and Space Administration opens offices at Cape Canaveral. The name is later changed to Cape Kennedy in honor of President Kennedy.
1959	Seven-year program for State’s Quatricentennial is announced.
1960	Population is 4,951,500. Census shows Florida is leading the country in growth rate, at 78 percent. Anti-Communist loyalty act for public employees is upheld by State’s high court.
1961	Miami residents resent influx of 200,000 Cuban refugees because of economic impact. Cecil Farris Bryant is elected Governor of Florida. During his administration, more than one billion dollars was raised to construct new buildings on college campuses across the state. In addition, the Bryant administration promoted water control projects, such as the Cross Florida Barge Canal, and acquired land for conservation and recreation purposes. He served as governor until 1965.
1962	Florida Atlantic University opens.
1963	Blacks, refused service at a State office building cafeteria, picket Capitol in vain.
1964	Race riots occur in Jacksonville and St. Augustine.
1965	Blacks in State charge Cuban refugees with taking their job opportunities. U.S. government begins relocation effort of the refugees. William Haydon Burns is elected Governor of Florida. He was elected to a two-year term. This short term came about because the cycle of gubernatorial elections was changed so as not to coincide with presidential election years. Governor Burns oversaw progress in the development of a new state constitution, as well as new areas of outdoor recreation and industry.
1966	Claud Kirk is elected governor, the first Republican to do so since Reconstruction. During Kirk’s years in office a new Florida constitution went into effect (1968). The governor was often at odds with both Democrats and his Republican colleagues in the legislature.
1967	Gov. Kirk establishes a private police force, answerable only to him, and paid for by unnamed private individuals. He claims that investigations by the force will not be limited to criminals. Secret police force is abolished after charges of political wiretapping. State Investigation Bureau is formed to replace Gov. Kirk’s "anti-crime" police force. Several public employees resign after Kirk refuses to raise their salaries.
1968	New State constitution is adopted, reorganizing the executive branch. Student newspaper at the University of Florida is censored after editors protest. Denial of tenure to a professor the administration calls "a dangerous manipulator of student and faculty." Republican National Convention in Miami nominates Richard Nixon.
1969	Apollo II, first manned expedition to the moon, is shot off from Cape Kennedy on July 16. Annual legislators’ salary is increased to $12,000, to replace $100 per month paid under 1885 law. Faculty members at University of Florida protest when fellow professors who refused to sign loyalty oath are refused their pay.
1970	Population is 6,789,445. Conservation and anti-pollution groups press several new bills to preserve the environment through the Legislature. Walt Disney World is under construction near Orlando.
1971	Census report shows an increase of 78 percent of persons over age 65 during the 1960’s in Florida. Students at University of Florida demand reinstatement of 77 blacks suspended after a sit-in on the president’s office. Reubin O’Donovan Askew is elected Governor of Florida. Governor Askew championed the idea of a corporate income tax and saw it pass after much debate. He helped lower other consumer taxes and also helped increase the homestead exemption on property taxes. He served two terms in office as governor. During his second administration he campaigned for a "Sunshine Amendment" to the new state constitution that required full and public financial disclosure by candidates and public officials. Askew opposed legalizing casino gambling in Florida and helped defeat a constitutional amendment to that effect. He served as governor until 1979.
1972	Large ecology movement begins because of disturbed environment. Environmental College is established at the University of Florida. Democratic and Republican National Conventions are held at Miami. Violent Protests erupt during Republican meetings, where Richard Nixon is renominated for President.
1973	State estimates show 2,000 to 4,000 new residents settle in Florida each day. Florida Keys is identified as "an area of critical State concern" as population Grows uncontrollable. State law that requires newspapers to print replies of political candidates criticized by them is upheld by Florida Supreme Court.
1974	Dorothy Glisson is named Secretary of State, making her the first woman to serve on Florida governor’s cabinet.
1975	Divers from a private company find $6 million worth of gold, silver, and armament treasures off Florida coast. It is speculated that the treasure may have lain there for over 350 years. Development of Florida Keys is placed under State control. Controversies rage over development of State’s wetlands, coasts, and offshore Islands Two hundred business students at University of Florida are charged in cheating Scandal.
1976	Depression in construction industry is reported. Some environmentalists claim Florida has reached its growth potential.
1977	Florida has highest unemployment rate in nation
1978	Casino gambling is outlawed in Miami. The move is hailed as a sign of Florida’s "coming of age" despite predictions of economic disruption in the city.
1979	Scandals begin, involving State officials’ acceptance of bribery and kickbacks in purchase of ecologically sensitive Florida wetlands. Daniel Robert (Bob) Graham is elected Governor of Florida. He serves as governor until 1987. During Gov. Graham’s first term, he dealt with a massive influx of Cuban and Haitian refugees, as well as riots in Miami. Graham led the way in the creation of a number of environmental programs during his years as governor, including the "Save Our Rivers," "Save Our Coasts," and "Save Our Everglades" programs. In addition, he supported and approved the 1984 Wetlands Protection Act. Graham’s personal style of campaigning for and administering the office of governor included frequent "work days," in which he spent a full day performing the duties of a policeman, railroad engineer, construction worker, sponge fisherman, factory worker, social worker, busboy, teacher, and other occupations.
1980	Early census shows that two-thirds of State’s population have been born elsewhere. Population is 9,579,963, an increase of 41 percent over 1970 census figures. Cuban political exiles land in Florida by the thousands. President Carter declares a state of emergency and allocates $10 million for relief.
1981	Florida leads the nation in number of citizens over 65 years old. Miami citizens fight to save the `Art Deco’ district from demolition. Two new sinkholes open in central Florida, bringing the total of property-swallowing land cavities to eight. The sinkholes, one as large as 1,000 feet wide and 125 feet deep, are said to be result of severe drought conditions.
1982	Walt Disney Production’s EPCOT Center is completed
1983	Maurice Ferre is reelected to sixth term as mayor of Miami, against Xavier Suarez. Record cold temperatures strike much of the U.S. Florida is hit by tornados that were caused by the cold wave. Citrus and Vegetable crop growers suffer major losses.
1984	Amid much controversy, Democrat Geraldine Ferraro is names by Walter Mondale as his running mate in upcoming presidential election. If confirmed, she will be the first woman in U.S. history to be a vice presidential candidate of a major party. A 5,900 ton freighter runs aground on section of only living coral reef in Continental U.S. located on Molasses Reef, southeast of Miami. U.S. government files a $22 million suit against the ship’s owners, a Cypriot shipping company.
1985	Tornado hits Venice, Florida, killing two people and injuring more than forty. Damages from the tornado are estimated at $14 million. Miami voters overwhelmingly reject two proposals that would give the mayor greater powers, and would allow future mayors to be elected in partisan elections. Both proposals are defeated by more than a two-to-one margin. Banker Tom Sawyer wins narrow victory against saloonkeeper Tony Tarracino in Race for mayor of Key West. Hurricane Juan hits U.S. Gulf Coast. Florida is one of many states to suffer from heavy rains. Attorney Xavier Suarez wins election as mayor of Miami. In his swearing in Speech, he tells voters he hopes to transform the city into an ethnically united community. Republican Party officials proclaim a 100 day, four state effort to persuade Democrats to switch parties. The states include Florida, Louisiana, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. The effort will include door-to-door canvassing, direct mail, and telephone appeals. An epidemic of brushfires strikes Florida; lightening, dry weather, and strong winds cause more than 354 fires that destroy more than 200 homes in 29 of the State’s 67 counties. Republican Party’s efforts to persuade Democrats to switch parties result in 54,179 voters re-registering, and 40,636 voters pledging that they will switch parties. Republicans declare the effort a success.
1986	The Challenger shuttle crew, of seven astronauts--including the specialties of pilot, aerospace engineers, and scientists-- died tragically in the explosion of their spacecraft during the launch of STS-51-L from the Kennedy Space Center about 11:40 a.m., EST, on January 28, 1986. The explosion occurred 73 seconds into the flight as a result of a leak in one of two Solid Rocket Boosters that ignited the main liquid fuel tank. Sharon Christa McAuliffe was to be the first teacher to fly in space. She was selected from among more than 11,000 applicants from the education profession for entrance into the astronaut ranks. NASA selected McAuliffe for this position in the summer of 1984 and in the fall she took a year-long leave of absence from teaching, during which time NASA would pay her salary, and trained for an early 1986 Shuttle mission. She had an immediate rapport with the media, and the teacher in space program received tremendous popular attention as a result. It is in part because of the excitement over McAuliffe's presence on the Challenger that the accident had such a significant impact on the nation.
1987	Miami Mayor Xavier Suarez wins easy victory for a second four-year term against former mayor, Maurice A. Ferre. On January 3rd, John Wayne Mixon officially became Governor of Florida for the remaining three days of Governor Graham’s term. Robert (Bob) Martinez is elected Governor of Florida. Governor Martinez continued the environmental protection programs of his Democratic predecessor and created additional protections for Florida’s surface waters, including Lake Okeechobee, Tampa Bay, Lake Jackson, the Kissimmee River, and other areas. He aggressively weeded out what he believed to be wasteful spending projects sponsored by many members of the legislature. The state’s drug control programs received a boost from Martinez. A law to tax services was less successful; the governor at first backed the tax and then withdrew his support. He served as governor until 1991.
1988	After a campaign said to be marked by negative advertising, Representative Buddy MacKay wins a narrow victory over State Insurance Commissioner Bill Gunter in runoff for Florida’s Democratic Senate nomination..
1990	The population of Florida is 12,937,926 according to the United States Census Bureau. Former Senator Lawton Chiles announces his intention to seek the Democratic nomination for State governor. Lawton Chiles defeats Bill Nelson in Florida Democratic gubernatorial election. Lawton Chiles faces incumbent Governor Bob Martinez in November. Chiles wins gubernatorial election against Bob Martinez.
1991	Eighty-five people are hospitalized after an Amtrak passenger train, traveling from New York City to Tampa, derails in Palatka. Former Panamanian military leader, General Manuel Antonio Noriega, goes on trial in U.S. District Court in Miami on charges that he helped Columbian drug traffickers transport drugs and launder money into U.S. Lawton Mainor Chiles, Jr. is elected Governor of Florida. Chiles proposed major health care and tax reforms during his first administration, continuing those policies into his second term. His second term emphasized programs and legislation for Florida children and saw the culmination of efforts to sue tobacco companies to pay health care costs that result from smoking. Governor Chiles died unexpectedly, three weeks before the end of his second term of office in 1998
1992	Hurricane Andrew hits State. Thirteen people are killed and an estimated 250,000 are left homeless from the hurricane. U.S. troops arrive to deliver food, water, and medical supplies to the victims of the hurricane. Florida’s presidential election results give Bill Clinton 39 percent of the State’s Votes, while President George Bush receives 41 percent, and Ross Perot receives 20 percent.
1993	Dade County Commissioners vote unanimously to repeal county’s controversial "English-only" ordinance, which had required all government business to be conducted in English. Hispanics constitute more than half of the county’s population. Jeb Bush, son of former president George Bush, files papers declaring his candidacy for the State’s 1994 gubernatorial election. President Bill Clinton nominates Dade County’s chief State prosecutor, Janet Reno, to head U.S. Justice Department as attorney general. Snow storm hits East Coast. Florida is hard hit by snow and tornadoes and is the only state declared a Federal disaster area.
1994	Flo-Sun, inc., a Florida sugar company, signs agreement with U.S. government and the State pledging participation in effort to clean up the Everglades region. The region is the world’s largest freshwater marsh and a major nature preserve, and has been severely polluted by agriculture and the diversion of fresh water. Lawton Chiles is reelected governor of Florida against Republican candidate, Jeb Bush.
1995	Walt Disney Company unveils plans for a new theme park feature live animals and rides. The 500 acre park, called Wild Animal Kingdom, is scheduled to open in 1998 in Orlando. It will be the company’s largest theme park, and the fourth at Walt Disney World Resort. One quarter of the park will be designated as a habitat for animals, some of them endangered. A boat carrying 47 Cuban exiles sinks in rough seas in the Florida Straits near Key West with one fatality. The boat was part of a flotilla expedition that planned to throw bottles containing copies of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights into the waters off Cuba’s shore. An overcrowded smuggling boat carrying more than 400 Haitian migrants lands in the Bahamas after interception by Bahamian authorities and the U.S. Coast Guard. The ship, bound for South Florida, contained neither food or water. Witnesses state that more than 600 people boarded the ship, but smugglers had thrown at least 100 overboard when the vessel began to take on water. Ten hurricanes bombard the Atlantic region. Hurricane Allison hits Florida’s Gulf Coast in June, Erin hits Vero Beach in August, and Hurricane Opal hits east of Pensacola in October. President Clinton approves emergency federal disaster assistance to 15 Florida counties and parts of Alabama. The season has produced the most storms since 1933, when 21 occurred. Six defense lawyers are indicted in Miami federal court on charges that they helped the Cali cocaine cartel in Columbia in criminal conspiracy. The lawyers were accused of preparing false affidavits, delivering drug money to pay legal fees, and warning their clients of impending charges. Jerry White, convicted of killing a shopper in an Orange County grocery store robbery, is executed in the electric chair. He is the 36th prisoner in Florida to be executed since 1976. Florida Baptist State Convention votes unanimously to boycott Walt Disney Co. theme parks and merchandise. A Resolution is adopted after Disney’s decision to provide insurance benefits to domestic partners of homosexual employees.
1996	U.S. space shuttle, Endeavor, carries out mission to retrieve Japanese science satellite, release and retrieve NASA science space probe, and perform two spacewalks to prepare for building planned space station. The shuttle travels 3.7 million total miles from January 11th to January 20th. All remaining Cuban refugees (about 125) housed at refugee camps at U.S. Naval Base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, are flown to south Florida. The camp was set up in 1994 to handle increase flow of people attempting to flee Cuba and Haiti for the U.S. At its peak, the camps held more than 29,000 Cubans and 21,000 Haitians. Most Haitians were sent back to Haiti in September 1995, and Cubans gradually began arriving to the U.S. since 1994. The U.S. officially closes the refugee camps as of January 31st. Proposed announcement of Everglades restoration project begins protests from sugar farmers and industry officials in Miami. Officials say higher taxes for cleanup will result in loss of 40,000 jobs in Florida. Announcement of a proposal under which federal government will invest $1.5 billion over seven years to restore the Everglades. The grassy marshland, located in southern Florida, has become increasingly contaminated by water polluted with fertilizer and pesticide runoff from area sugar cane growing farms. U.S. space shuttle, Columbia, carries out mission to tether Italian satellite, but cable snaps and sends the tethered satellite away from shuttle. Other missions include micro-gravity experiments. The shuttle travels 6.5 million miles from February 22nd to March 9th.
1997	Florida’s biggest bank, Barnett Bank, Inc., was bought by NationsBank Corp. for $15.5 billion. The 1997 Atlantic season included seven tropical storms, three becoming hurricanes. The entire month of August passed without tropical storm activity in the Atlantic. There hasn't been a similar lull since 1961, according to the National Weather Service. This 1997 El Nino is at least the most powerful since 1982-83 and may prove to be even more influential. It severely sup-pressed Atlantic and Caribbean storm development this year, and its effect may even carry over to the 1998 hurricane season. he continuing cooperative effort in space exploration between the United States and Russia was the focus of NASA's first Shuttle mission of 1997 with the launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis on Mission STS-81. This was the fifth of nine planned missions to Mir and the second one involving an exchange of U.S. astronauts. Atlantis again carried the SPACEHAB module in the payload bay of the orbiter. The double module configuration housed experiments to be performed by Atlantis' crew along with logistics equipment to be transferred to Mir.
1998	The continuing cooperative effort in space exploration between the United States and Russia and a joint spacewalk was the focus of NASA's first Shuttle mission of 1998 with the launch of Space Shuttle Endeavour on Mission STS-89. This was the eighth of nine planned missions to Mir and the fifth one involving an exchange of U.S. astronauts. STS-91 will mark the final Shuttle/Mir Docking Mission. This Phase 1 Program is a precursor to the International Space Station maintaining a continuous American presence in space and developing the procedures and hardware required for an international partnership in space. STS-91 will also carry into space the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer Investigation (AMS). The objectives of this investigation are to search for anti-matter and dark matter in space and to study astrophysics. The mission will also be the first use of the super lightweight external tank (SLWT) which is the same size (154 ft. long and 27 ft. in diameter) as the external tank used on previous launches but 7,500 lbs lighter. The tank is made of an aluminum lithium alloy and the tank's structural design also has been improved making it 30% stronger and 5% less dense. The walls of the redesigned hydrogen tank are machined in an orthogonal waffle-like pattern, providing more strength and stability than the previous design. These improvements will provide additional payload capacity to the International Space Station. Kenneth Hood "Buddy" MacKay, Jr. becomes Governor of Florida. Finally, in 1990, MacKay teamed with Lawton Chiles, serving as Lieutenant Governor for two terms, from 1990 to 1998. Upon Governor Chiles sudden death, MacKay assumed the governorship for the remaining three weeks of Chiles' term.
1999	STS-96 was a logistics and resupply mission for the International Space Station. It was the first flight to dock to the International Space Station. The SPACEHAB double module carried internal and resupply cargo for station outfitting. The Integrated Cargo Carrier (ICC) carried the Russian cargo crane, known as STRELA, which was mounted to the exterior of the Russian station segment, the SPACEHAB Oceaneering Space System Box (SHOSS) and a U.S. built crane called the ORU Transfer Device (OTD). Other payloads on STS-96 were the Student Tracked Atmospheric Research Satellite for Heuristic International Networking Equipment (STARSHINE), the Shuttle Vibration Forces Experiment (SVF) and the Orbiter Integrated Vehicle Health Monitoring - HEDS Technology Demonstration (IVHM HTD). John Ellis "Jeb" Bush is elected Governor of Florida. Bush's win gives the Republican Party control of both the Legislature and the governor's office for the first time in 124 years - and for the first time in any Southern state since Reconstruction. The "Big Sombrero," known variously as Tampa Stadium and Houlihan's, surrendered to the wrecking ball after Raymond James Stadium became the new home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In October, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined Tampa Electric Co. $25,200 for four violations at the Gannon Station plant, where an explosion killed three workers and injured dozens of others. TECO initially blamed workers' errors for the April 8 explosion. More bad news hit the utility in November when the federal government accused TECO of being the biggest polluter in the bay area and sued to force improvements. TECO then reached an agreement with state officials to spend $1-billion in improvements during a 10-year period, which federal officials said was not enough. Water officials voted in March to approve the western hemisphere's largest seawater desalination plant, to be built on Tampa Bay in south Hillsborough County. When complete, the plant is expected to provide 25-million gallons of water a day to the bay area.
2000	The population of Florida is 15,982,378 according to the United States Census Bureau. Governor George W. Bush was elected to the presidency of the United States. In the Florida vote count certified on November 26th, 537 votes separated Al Gore and George W. Bush out of more than 5.8 million votes cast. Whether additional votes from manual recounts would be counted was in litigation until the evening of December 12th, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that manual recounts could not continue on constitutional grounds because the lack of uniform standards for the recounting violated the 14th Amendment's equal protection guarantees. Later, many media outlets hired accounting firms to re-count the votes. In the re-counts that were conducted, George W. Bush won the election. Governor Jeb Bush appointed the 21-member task force - with 10 Republicans, 10 Democrats and one with no party affiliation - after the November presidential election dragged out five weeks while Al Gore challenged George W. Bush's 537-vote victory. Gov. Jeb Bush said he believes the state must come up with a standard for recounts and vote certifications that are identical in all 67 counties. Mission STS-99, also known as the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM), was an international project spearheaded by the National Imagery and Mapping Agency and NASA, with participation of the German Aerospace Center DLR. Its objective was to obtain the most complete high-resolution digital topographic database of the Earth. SRTM consists of a specially modified radar system that will fly onboard the space shuttle during its 11-day mission. This radar system gathered data that will produce unrivaled 3-D images of the Earth's surface.` In August, U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday ended a 1964 desegregation lawsuit filed against the Pinellas schools. Merryday declared Pinellas schools free of discrimination and accepted a negotiated settlement between the district and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. Two months later, the School Board approved a plan to let parents start choosing their children's schools in fall 2003. In Hillsborough, the School Board approved a similar school choice plan in November and submitted it to the federal judge overseeing the district's desegregation efforts. Florida lawmakers approved a new medical college for Florida State University and new law schools at heavily Hispanic Florida International University and historically black Florida A&M University. FAMU had a law school until the mid-1960s, when it was shut down by the state and moved to predominantly white FSU. Tampa lobbied hard to become the FAMU law school site, but lost to Orlando. Two black state lawmakers, Miami Sen. Kendrick Meek and Jacksonville Rep. Tony Hill, staged a 25-hour sit-in in Gov. Jeb Bush's Capitol offices over his One Florida initiative, which abolished affirmative action in university admissions and public contracting. The sit-in was a catalyst for a March 7 march, which drew about 11,000 protesters to Tallahassee, and a minority voter registration effort, which helped increase black voter turnout in the Nov. 7 election by more than 50 percent over 1996.